Prior ultrasonic bonding apparatuses include apparatuses for converting web or sheet materials into laminates on-the-fly with predetermined patterns of bonded regions. Such apparatuses are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,041--Robertson; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,238-Long et al.
While the background art discloses methods and apparatus which have been developed to overcome some of the problems of ultrasonically bonding webs to convert them into laminates--particularly pattern bonded laminates--the discovered background art has not solved all of the problems associated with such web laminating in the manner of nor to the extent of the present invention. In particular, but not intending to thereby limit the scope of the present invention, providing post-bonding compression to the ultrasonically bonded regions of the laminate prior to their becoming fully set upon cooling.